


Castle In the Sky

by samwrotesomestuff



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, 天空の城ラピュタ | Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa | Laputa: Castle in the Sky
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Industrial Revolution, Alternate Universe - No Bending (Avatar TV), F/F, Fantasy, Romance, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:53:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26205244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samwrotesomestuff/pseuds/samwrotesomestuff
Summary: Korra lived a simple life in the Southern Tundra with her parents, caring for their ranch and her large polar bear dog. It was a pleasant living, albeit a little lonely, that is until Korra’s parents were called away. It’s been days since Korra has been left alone.Asami grew up in the mining town of Zaofu during the golden age of industrialism until the country was hit by a deep recession. Having lost both of her parents at a young age has left Asami determined to fix her family’s reputation.Their paths cross when a giant blue light descends from the sky.A reinterpretation of the classic Studio Ghibli film Laputa/Castle in the Sky.
Relationships: Korra & Asami Sato, Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 23
Kudos: 51





	1. The Southern Tundra

It had been days since Korra had last seen her parents. She recalls the confused look in their eyes as they read through an invitation from her estranged uncle. Her father looked at her with furrowed brows, as if pondering on a difficult decision, and walked over removing the blue crystal necklace held together by a black leather cord from his neck and placing it on Korra, “You can keep this safe for me right, spitfire?” Tight hugs, promises of a swift return and a disappearing boat on the ocean's horizon later, Korra was left to tend to their family's buffalo yak ranch alone.

Roaring barks drew her out her thoughts and absent minded brushing of the buffalo yak in front of her. Her polar bear dog rarely barked that loudly unless there was someone on the land. Korra buzzed with excitement, had her parents finally come back?

She quickly paced out towards Naga, breaking into a jog at the sight of distant figures approaching the farm. Getting a closer look, Korra came to a grinding halt. A chill ran down her spine and it wasn’t just from the blisteringly cold winds.

She invited them into her home, they were her guests after all, and sat awkwardly across from her uncle, Unalaq and her two twin cousins in her kitchen. They weren't anything she'd expected. Her father, Tonraq, was a gruff but humble man in his late 30s, standing as tall as a mountain with a physique to match and a demeanour fitting of a farmer. Unalaq, however, was in his mid 30s, tall and sleek, dressed in a navy suit with a calculated expression across his long face. The quiet clatter of mugs and sipping went on before Korra let her curiosity get the better of her.

"As nice as it is to meet you uncle and you too, Esna and Deska, but why are you here? Where are my parents?" she asked impatiently. 

Unalaq gently placed down his mug, face becoming very grim, "Your parents, my brother and your mother, they-” he cleared his throat, “they never made it to the meeting with me.” He started getting choked up, looking Korra in the eyes, “The ship was reported to me as a large wreckage, they must’ve drowned in all the chaos.”

Korra was speechless, there was no way her parents could’ve drowned on a boat trip that took less than a day, she couldn’t fathom that they could just be gone from something like that. Blood drained out of her, she felt like static was coursing through her, leaving her numb. Thoughts were rushing through her head as she sat back, attempting to process the news.

From her expression and silence, Unalaq decided to continue on, “I’m really sorry Korra, your parents loved you so much and thought the world of you. I understand your pain, my parents’ deaths were quite unexpected as well when I was older than you are now. From the letters that your father wrote me-”

That yanked Korra out of her spiralling thoughts, ‘Letters? Dad never said anything about sending any letter, let alone sending multiple to someone he hated talking about so much.’

“- he always called you the light of his life.”

She tensed immediately, eyes blazing a hole into the table in front of them, ‘He’s never called me that.’

“So, I’ll be taking you in with me, family should stay together. It’s what Tonraq and Senna would’ve wanted. We’ll leave tonight to give you some time to adjust and pack for the trip ahead.” He finished, hands clasped in front of him, resting on the table.

Korra glanced at her cousins, their deadpan expressions stares and hunched postures were unsettling. This was so much to take in but it all didn’t add up; her parents should’ve been back the next evening and if a ship wreckage were to have happened then she would’ve heard something about it, her father would steer the conversation away from anything related to his brother or would even huff out names of a bad nature when referring to him and they definitely wouldn’t want her to just leave the ranch like this.

She abruptly stood up, her chair scraping loudly behind her, “The hell I am,” She said clearly, looking at her uncle right in the eye.

He put a hand out as if to console her, “Now, now, Korra-”

“There’s no way my parents would’ve died like that and I sure as hell ain’t going with you!” She yelled, slamming her fist into the table.

The twins flinched, reactively pulling something out of their suit jacket’s inner pocket. Seeing the glint of two revolvers peek out, Korra’s stomach dropped and her mind raced.

Unalaq looked on with a contained fury, speaking through his teeth, “They are gone now Korra and you’ll be coming with us. Do not make this harder than it needs to be.”

She could feel the room get colder if that was somehow possible in the Southern Tundra. Her cousins still had their hands in their jackets but the shine of those guns were unmistakable. Sparing a quick glimpse at her uncle, she could feel him analysing her with a looming presence. She needed to get out of here.

The seconds ticked by and Korra settled back down onto her chair, her hand reaching for her steaming hot mug. Unalaq and the twins seemed to relax a little, even pulling their hands back out of their jackets when suddenly, Korra threw the steaming hot tea at her uncle’s face. He swore out loud, hands rubbing at his eyes to settle the searing pain. The twins were startled and went to reach for their guns again, Korra quickly threw her mug with as much force as she could at Esna’s face before shoving Deska towards his father and sending them both tumbling to the floor. 

Korra bolted, flinging the back door open and running into the snowy field behind her home, she brought her fingers to her mouth and let out a sharp whistle. With a thundering gallop, her polar bear dog appeared next to her within a couple of seconds. Grabbing onto the large mass of fur on Naga’s neck, she jumped onto her back and galloped away. 

Through the whipping winds, Korra heard Unalaq angrily yelling in the distance behind her, “You idiots! She’s getting away!” before a gunshot rang through the air. 

A bullet ripped through Korra’s left shoulder, she folded over and screamed in pain, clutching onto her bleeding wound and holding onto Naga for dear life. Another gunshot sounded off, hitting Naga in her back leg. Naga let out a pained roar and collapsed to the ground, trapping and crushing Korra’s leg underneath her massive weight. Korra’s head was ringing, her sight began to focus as she heard Naga whining. Grunting in pain, she tried to get out from underneath Naga when footsteps crunched towards her. Naga let out a grumbling growl at Unalaq as he continued closer, a small sound of the gun’s pin being cocked back responded.

**BANG**

Naga’s lifeless body slumped, pressing down harder onto Korra’s trapped leg. “NAGA! NO PLEASE!” she screamed in anguish as hot tears ran down her face, punching at the snow around her and grabbing at her fur for any response. The crystal in her necklace began to heat up and glow faintly as if alive. Unalaq stepped over to Korra, assessing her further, his eyes widening at the sight of the crystal. “You- YOU BASTARD! YOU KILLED HER! YOU FUCKER!”

Unalaq let out a tsk and grumbled, “Enough of this.” He spun the revolver in his hand and whipped her across the face. 

She saw nothing but black.


	2. The Airship

Korra sat in silence, staring out of the airship’s window as she had been for the past two weeks. Her leg was badly sprained and bruised, littering her skin in shades of purple and blue, hues matching the welt that ran across her cheek. Her left arm was put into a sling, throbbing at the slightest bit of movement. Being confined to a wheelchair made her a mostly compliant hostage, much to Unalaq’s satisfaction when her initial resistance to being dressed in flowy gown proved futile. 

Booming vibrations of the party upstairs and clicks from Unalaq’s typewriter filled the room. It was a luxury airship, the finest hotel in the air for the societal elite and military brass. Korra couldn’t help but wonder if there was anyone on the ship that knew there was a kidnapped hostage onboard or if they could step away long enough from the overflowing champagne and overly indulgent foods to even care. The door into their suite swung open with a weighted screech and Esna and Deska stepped in, expressionless with their hunched postures, carrying a tray with a plate of roast and a glass of water.

“Father, we have brought food for the prisoner,” Deska said, completely monotone. 

Unalaq stopped typing, eyes glancing at his children, he let out a sigh and took off his wire frame glasses from the tip of his nose. “For the last time, Korra is our guest. You are bringing her, her dinner,” he said, wiping away any tiredness from his face.

The twins ducked their heads in obedience, Esna stepping aside to place the tray in front of Korra. 

"Your dinner, cousin." Esna said, staring down at her. She too had a bruise decorating her face, an angry purple patch across her brow that amused Korra when she first woke up after the incident.

There was no acknowledgement made by Korra as she continued to stare blankly out the window.

Seeming to show annoyance for once (or any emotion at all, for that matter), Esna dropped the metal platter from a short height onto the table that Korra sat at, cutlery and ware clattering against each other.

Unalaq watched on with disdain, placing his glasses back on and turning his attention to the piles of papers stacked on his desk. "Leave her be, if she wants to eat then she will eat." he ordered, waving his hand dismissively.

A shrill alarm rang through the hallway and everything in the room stilled. “Pirates! Pirates are on-” yells were cut short by gunshots and terrified screams. Unalaq jumped up with his revolver at the ready, poking his head out the doorway. Soldiers came running down the hallway, pulling a table from the opposite room to form a barricade. A loud thunk and bang shook the suite’s inner wall, smoke quickly filled the hallway making the small group of soldiers cough as they blindly shot their rifles. Korra tensed up while watching the gunfight unfold right outside the door, her knuckles turning white from her tight grip on the wheelchair’s armrest.

“What are you waiting for?” Unalaq said to the twins, gesturing to the doorway with his revolver. The twins both let out a sigh, pulling out their guns and trudged into the hallway, ducking behind the soldiers to provide gun support. 

A closer explosion rattled the walls again, more smoke erupting into the hallway and leaking into the room. Unalaq began to cough, covering his face with his forearm, "No one gets into this room," he ordered to the immediate group outside the door, firing a few shots down the hallway. 

Stepping back in, he closed the door and locked the latch. With a pointed glare at Korra who looked on worriedly, Unalaq warned with a hint of malice, “Those pirates are probably here for you so just sit there and we'll keep you safe and sound."

With his back turned to Korra, he held an ear piece to his ear and began relaying a message through a telegraph. High pitched hums and beeps occupied the room over the muffled yells and gunfire behind the door. Korra looked over Unalaq's hunched figure, his entire focus was on the telegraph in front of him. This was as big of a chance as any.

Bracing herself, she took her good foot off the wheelchair footrest and onto the carpeted floor, supporting herself with her non slinged hand. Gingerly while balancing on one leg, Korra reached across the table in front of her for the empty wine bottle, extremely careful to not make a sound. Korra took a step forward towards a distracted Unalaq with her injured leg, wincing and barely holding in a hiss through gritted teeth, searing pain shooting up her spine. 

Another explosion and yells came directly from the door, Unalaq paused his messaging to glance up and listen to the developments outside. Holding her breath, Korra lifted the bottle and-

**THUNK**

Unalaq’s body went completely slack and collapsed to the floor. Korra dropped the bottle from her now loose grip, realisation of her action and a small sense of relief hitting her like a tonne of bricks. She could hear closer shouts outside the suite door. Wasting no time she kicked his foot and waited for any response. Nothing.

She knelt down and opened Unalaq’s jacket, patting and searching. The sound of the locked door knob turning back and forth caught her ear and stopped her train of thought. “It’s locked!” yelled a boyish voice from the other side of the door. “Then knock it down, Bolin! Captain said to check every room!” Korra could faintly hear a sharp male voice respond back.

Panic ran through Korra, her heart stopping for a beat. She resumed frisking, a bit more hurriedly this time, hands slightly trembling. “Come on, come on,” Korra mumbled under her breath, “Got you!” She exclaimed, holding her crystal necklace in front of her. Light from the ceiling shone through it, giving a brilliant blue and highlighting the gold impression of her family’s crest. 

_“You can keep this safe for me right, spitfire?”_

Korra smiled sombrely thinking about her father’s last words to her. Loud banging from the door took her out of her thoughts. Blinking and gathering herself, Korra managed to stand up and slid the necklace back onto her neck. There was no way she was going to get out of that hallway alive with her barely being able to walk. Her eyes scanned for any possible exit and zoned in on the window. Korra limped over to the window and slid it open. Sticking her head out she saw the massive drop through the clouds to the earth’s surface, there was no surviving that. Turning her head, she saw the next suite’s window illuminating out into the night. Perhaps she could-

Louder banging and cracks of the door made up her mind. She was going to climb over. She ripped off the flimsy material of her sling and testingly squeezed her left fist again and again to get some feeling back into it after two weeks of inactivity. She could feel some tightness in her shoulder but chose to ignore it. She climbed out of the window, standing on her toes on a horizontal ridge that ran along the length of the airship and holding onto the window frame with a death grip. The freezing winds of the high altitude whipped at her, her dress flying about around her. Taking a moment to change her grip to another ridge, Korra began to shimmy over when the suite door suddenly swung open as splinters of wood flew into the room. A well built guy that was slightly shorter than Korra and appearing to be about the same age, barrelled into the room after breaking the door down. He quickly scanned the room and made direct eye contact with Korra, his green eyes widening in recognition. “She’s here! She’s outside the window!” he called out, running across the room to catch her.

Korra gasped and started moving faster, the muscles in her leg were throbbing and her shoulder was screaming, the pain was almost unbearable as she grunted with every step. The pirate scrambled to the window, flailing his arms to reach her but she was already out of his grasp.

The chilling winds cut through her as she shivered, her fingertips were starting to feel numb and her leg was beginning to cramp. Suddenly a loud feminine scream came from the window she was moving towards and another male pirate appeared with a striking resemblance to the pirate behind her, sticking his head out to look at her. She hesitated, she was just out of reach for the both of them but she had nowhere to go and her injuries were wearing her down. Her grip was slipping and just before she could readjust…

She fell, plummeting towards the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2, so much action happening so early on (wow, even I'm surprised) but luckily something a lot calmer will be happening next chapter, we'll finally be meeting Asami!
> 
> Special thanks again to my beta.


	3. Zaofu Mines

It was a pleasantly warm night in town, children were still running through the streets and dinner calls from their parents could be heard from the windows of different houses. Asami stood in line at the eatery window holding a well-worn tiffin carrier. She could feel a gentle breeze flow through her open jacket, a welcome sensation after the humid heat of the boilers in the mines. “Oh, Miss Sato!” called out Mrs Lee waving her over, perched on the eatery counter. She was a wizened old plump lady with white and grey streaky hair tied in the same old bun.

Asami put on a polite smile, nodding in greeting to Mr and Mrs Lee as she approached the counter, placing the tin on the counter with three yuans clattering after. “Vegetarian cabbage rolls for Tenzin please, Mr Lee,” said Asami and she leaned on her elbow onto the counter. Mr Lee, a skinny old man with a long grey beard growing from his chin, with matching long eyebrows, gave a small smile and wordlessly took the tin to the side and started divvying the food order.

“Working late tonight, Miss Sato?” asked Mrs Lee, fanning herself with the same fan Asami has always seen her with. Asami could almost remember a similar conversation with Mrs Lee…

_Asami was no older than 4 years old and barely at waist height, walking into town hand in hand with both of her parents on a summer day. “What a lovely day, my dears,” her mother almost sang out, her hair flowing in the gentle breeze. Asami looked up and watched her father melt as he nodded along with a growing smile on his face, is this what love is? Asami giggled at her parents' silliness and pulled them towards a store window that smelt of a blend of fresh bread and spices. “Oh, Mr Sato! Not working today?” called out Mrs Lee, perched at the same spot at the counter waving the same fan._

_Hiroshi chuckled, “No, not today. Yasuko somehow convinced me to take a day off for once so I’m spending it with my favourite girls,” he said hoisting Asami onto his hip, holding her up. Yasuko rolled her eyes, gently slapping his shoulder and walked closer to talk to Mrs Lee. “We can’t let your mother chat for too long, that Mrs Lee is one hell of a gossip monger,” he whispered into Asami’s ear conspiratorially, tickling her face with his grandiose facial hair and making her giggle._

“Afraid so, all hands on deck at the mines...hopefully, we’ll find something soon,” Asami said while wiping off soot from her forearm. Mrs Lee looked on with what Asami assumed was a bit of pity.

“Well hopefully soon you won’t have to work down in the mines any longer, you’ll find a nice man and get married and soon you’ll be looking after your own little ones. It must be awfully lonely and dangerous in that cottage all alone after everything that happened with your unfortunate father and bless, your beautiful mother,” Mrs Lee said, reaching over to pat Asami’s leaning arm.

She inhaled sharply and pulled her arm out of reach at the mention of her parents and marriage, “I’ve been doing fine on my own, Mrs Lee, and I believe I’ll continue to do so,” Asami said pointedly, looking directly at her.

Not one to read the room, Mrs Lee continued, “I heard that Tahno has grown up into a fine young man, you should give him a cha-”

A heavy clunk from the tiffin onto the counter thankfully interrupted Mrs Lee. Asami broke her stare with Mrs Lee to glance at Mr Lee joining them. He gave her an empathetic smile and croaked out in a gentle voice, “Bun’s on the house, there are meatballs for Bumi too,” pointing at the steaming hot bun on top with his wiry hand.

She gives a grateful smile back, “Thanks Mr Lee,” nodding to him, “Mrs Lee,” she finishes, drily. Picking up the tiffin, she made her way to the outskirts of town and towards the hill at the mine’s opening. The hill was extremely steep, forcing Asami into more of a crawling climb than a walk. Her mind was still stuck on that mostly one-sided conversation with Mrs Lee; shaking her head to stop the thoughts any further, she stuffed the bun in her mouth and muttered under her breath, “Gossip monger indeed.”

Climbing up the hill with one hand occupied with tins of hot food proved to be difficult but it wasn’t something Asami hasn’t done before. With a huff, she pushed forth when a glimmer of blue light from above caught her eye, looking up she saw nothing but a cloudy night sky. She rubbed her eye with the back of her hand, squinting for any strange lights. Nothing again. “I need to get out for fresh air more often,” she murmured while shaking her head. She kept on moving forward and made it to the top of the hill.

What was once a large mound of earth, is now a hollowed-out hill with a refinery and cart tracks leading to a mining elevator. Across the giant mouth of the opening laid a wide, structured beam with a large wheel built into the surrounding rock to anchor the elevator cables. Asami looked down on the mine for a moment, appreciating one of the last mass designs her father ever made. It wasn't as elegant as what he loved making but it was practical and intuitive. It had him written all over it and that gave Asami a small sense of comfort.

Asami could see that Tenzin was busily fidgeting near the boilers of the refinery and decided to head down to assist him; she'd taken too long on her break already. 

The blast of blue light returned, catching Asami's attention. She looked up and squinted, trying to see it better. It looked almost like a spraying force of liquid light but as Asami focussed on the strange phenomena, she realised that at the centre of light was a faint outline of a lying body. A body quickly descending towards the beam over the mine.

Asami broke out of her stupor and jogged towards the fall zone of the glowing body, dropping off the tiffin at the ladder that led to the main level of the mine. When the figure came to about double Asami’s height, Asami got a clearer look at what appeared to be a tanned, athletic girl in a thin dress, no older than Asami. Just when this mysterious figure looked like she was about to drop to the beam, Asami jumped with her arms spread out to catch her but she somehow slowed her descent and hovered above Asami's arms.

Asami looked at this girl in awe, she'd never seen someone of full Southern or Northern descent before nor someone that fell from the sky. Was she some sort of angel? Science would say no but science couldn’t disprove gushing streams of light coming from a floating girl. Asami couldn't tear her eyes away from this mysterious stranger, she testingly raised her hands to touch the girl, blushing when she felt the muscular curves of the unconscious girl's body. The spill of light began to dim and fade out entirely to reveal a blue teardrop crystal attached to a necklace around the girl's neck. Asami’s eyes traced the strong cheekbones and jawline of the floating girl, curious and fascinated when the abrupt weight of the stranger fell into her arms.

"Oh shit!" Asami let out in a restrained grunt, falling to her knees while supporting the stranger's body. The loud bang on the beam alerted Tenzin who was working quietly below.

"Asami? Are you back?" Bellowed Tenzin in a deep, husky voice. Asami peeked over the edge and saw the shine of Tenzin's sweat covered head, looking up at her. Tenzin was in his late 40s and wasn't a large man but he was tall enough to tower over Asami; his head was consistently shaved every day, a habit formed from his days following his nomadic faith, but grew a large beard that Bumi would jokingly swear would catch fire one day.

"It's me!" Asami called out, "did you see this girl-" 

A stream of hot steam burst out of a pipe above the boilers, whistling loudly. Asami could hear Tenzin groan over the growing rumble and whistles of the boiler system. "There's a girl that fell-"

Another burst of steam rang out from another pipe, interrupting Asami. "Please get down here, Asami. It's that horrible joint again, I can't reach it," Tenzin pleaded, exasperation seeping through him.

Asami sighed and moved the girl to lay on the beam, she didn't seem to be waking up any time soon. She got up after making sure that the girl looked secure and somewhat comfortable. She took a step towards the ladder and had an afterthought, removing her gloves and jacket, she gently lifted the head of the mystery girl and placed her gloves underneath and covered the girl's body with her jacket. Nodding at her handiwork, Asami grabbed the tin, slid down the ladder and landed in a plume of dust.

She left the tiffin on a short brick wall that supported the burners of the refinery and hefted a large worn out wrench, making her way to the tight corner. She lowered herself to the ground and rolled onto her back, shimmying through the tight confines and close enough to reach the valve with the wrench. Asami could feel sweat soaking through her sleeveless shirt as heat radiated off the surrounding pipes. She could hear Tenzin turning another valve nearby and waited for the sound of liquids to flow towards her. She twisted the wrench as far as she could from her awkward position and thankfully the streams of steam calmed. 

Both Asami and Tenzin sighed in relief, Asami wiped away the sweat that was accumulating on her forehead. A clear, distinct ding from a bell startled the two.

"Go ahead Asami, I'll take care of this," ordered Tenzin, already moving to another valve. "Right!" Asami called out after him, crawling back out.

Asami jogged over to the row of elevator controls, sitting down and taking a breath. She held onto the first lever, pressing down on the safety trigger and pulled it towards her, the motors began to turn and shift the cables. She listened for a light clicking sound and eased the last lever forward. Asami heard the scraping of the sides of the elevator floor against the shaft beams and spared a moment to look up at the beam where the girl laid, her silhouette still against the gentle clouds of the night sky. The fast-approaching sound of the elevator alerted Asami who gingerly pulled back the last, first and middle lever, bringing the elevator to a smooth stop.

A group of men with a cart of rocks appeared in the elevator shaft next to Asami. With a collective huff, they pushed the cart from the elevator onto the tracks that ran through the refinery. Tenzin approached, arms crossed, to review the day's findings. 

Asami watched curiously but cringed when she accidentally made eye contact with Tahno; he was a lanky boy that was younger than Asami by a year but carried enough toxic bravado for a man double his age. Tahno sauntered over, two of his lackeys in tow, "You're looking beautiful today Asami, all dolled up just for me?" he said in a slimy tone, not even concealing his obvious leering. 

She stood up to be level with him and revelled in the fact that she was an inch taller. She crossed her arms across her chest, unimpressed, "Get out of my face Tahno, I've got work to do," she said, turning to walk away. 

The two lackeys moved to block her way, sneering. "Where's the rush? I saw that you were working the elevator today, how about we both clock off early and I can show you how to work a real shaft?" He said greasily while reaching around Asami's tensed shoulders, the two lackeys barely holding in their impressed smiles and sneers.

Asami felt a familiar, domineering presence behind her and relaxed a bit. "What's this aye? Masterful information? How about you share with the rest of the class?" announced Bumi, loud enough for the remaining miners to notice. “Or maybe I can teach you a few things, pretty boy,” Bumi said with a slight edge, eyes narrowed on Tahno and his sidekicks. The older miners looked on with disapproval and Asami could feel Tahno shrink by the second as he pulled back his arm. He motioned for his two buddies and walked off to the exit with a scowl on his face.

“You know I could’ve easily handled that myself, right?” Asami asked, a smile audible in her voice. 

Bumi nudged her with his elbow, “I know you can, could even rip his arm off if you wanted to but humour this old man, will ya?” he said, with his goofy grin. “Smooth driving there on the elevator today though, not too shabby, Sato.”

“Easier than flying a plane, Bumi,” Asami said, shrugging. A fleeting pass of sadness went through Bumi’s eyes as he looked over Asami.

“Your pa said the same thing,” he said fondly, he held onto her shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze, “Stop growing up so fast, you’re looking just like your ma.” Asami felt a warm comfort blossom in her chest, Bumi and Tenzin looked after Asami after the death of her father, they were the only friends that believed in him and were the ones to find him on that unfortunate day.

“Bumi! Let’s get going. Asami, can you shut everything off for the night?” called out Tenzin, grabbing the tiffin and making his way to the exit.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine, say hi to Pema for me,” she yelled back in response, “You better get going Bumi, Mr Lee packed some meatballs for you,” she said, pushing Bumi towards the exit. That caught his attention, roughing up her hair as a goodbye to Asami, he jogged off after his younger brother.

Asami was quick to get back into work, cooling down the fires low enough to not be a danger and switched off various motors that powered the refinery. The real challenge came in the form of the unconscious mystery girl that was still on the beam and what to do next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ding dong, Asami's here with the phenomena that will bring our leads together. Plenty of characters coming in now that we're in Zaofu. Weird that I made Asami's starting location Zaofu aye? It felt weird to write in Republic City as a mining town so I figured that the actual metal city made more sense.  
> I'm sort of curious, how many of you guys have actually watched Castle In The Sky? Are you guys liking the way I'm deviating from the movie? Comment if you wanna.  
> Thanks for reading and joining me on this weird creative outlet exploration of mine.  
> Special thanks again to my favourite (and only) beta! (or as she would understand it, "again favourite beta!")


	4. Sato Workshop

**TW: Mention of suicide, a very quick one but I've included a marker ( * ) for the beginning and end of the mention.**

* * *

Clouds covered the cliffs of Zaofu as fog blanketed over the sleeping village. The sun slowly rose over the horizon and grassy plains that surrounded the area, farm animals awoke and grazed lazily as if waiting for the sun to rise completely. Rays of morning light began to peek through the clouds, bleeding into the bedroom window of Asami’s home on the hill above the town. Feeling the early morning light hit her face, Asami began to stir awake, she had always been a light sleeper. She had fallen asleep from exhaustion while sitting on the floor, laying on top of her medical kit at the edge of her bed. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched her back, feeling the discomfort from sleeping so weirdly. Blinking for a bit, her eyes scanned over the unconscious mysterious girl occupying her bed, she hadn't woken at all since Asami found her the night before. 

Asami rolled her shoulders back, feeling her joints pop. She groggily stood up, now dressed in one of her father's long dress shirts that came to her mid-thigh, she had somehow managed to wash off all the soot and grease the night before and stay awake long enough to somewhat clothe herself. She dragged her feet towards the basin across the room, ducking her head away from the nose of the half-built plane that hung in the middle of the workshop. She splashed some water onto her face, attempting to clear her mind of the fog. She groaned loudly and froze. She glanced back at the bed, worried that she'd woken up the girl. Nothing. 

A sigh of relief escaped Asami as she reached for the kettle that dried on the windowsill above the basin. After filling it up, she made her way to the cast iron fireplace near her bed, placing it on top. Asami knelt down to stoke the fire, adding chunks of wood. Leaning on her knee for support, Asami felt a wave of fatigue hit her. She lost her balance and her hand shot out for the closest thing for support, the hot flat top of the fireplace. With a loud yelp, she pulled back her hand to her chest, her palm now bright pink. 

The stranger abruptly sat up, looking for the source of the noise with fear written over her face but was quickly replaced with a flash of pain. She winced, holding onto her shoulder.

“Hey hey, don’t move too quickly, your wound reopened last night,” Asami said, rushing forward to attempt to calm the stranger. The blanket fell to the stranger’s lap, revealing her mostly exposed upper body covered in chest bindings and new bandages around her left shoulder. A stark blue and black tribal tattoo could now be seen clearly in the daylight, wrapped around her right bicep, Asami had never seen one in person before. Asami’s eyes widened and quickly turned her head away, suddenly finding the wooden floorboards very interesting. A blush crept onto her face, feeling flustered at seeing so much of the stranger’s exposed body in clear lighting. “I- uh,” Asami cleared her throat while gathering her thoughts, she took a deep breath and- “You floated down from the sky in a blue light and dropped into my arms at the mines where I work. I had to finish work but then I carried you back to my home which is where you are now, I noticed that you were bleeding through the dress that you had on so I took it off so that I could change your bandages. I’m sorry for taking off your dress but I was hoping to wash it before you woke up but I haven’t had the chance so here we are now.” Asami said in one breath, exhaling the remainder. She timidly looked over to the stranger for any reaction.

The stranger looked back, Asami’s green emerald eyes meeting the stranger’s blue. The girl blinked and stared blankly at her lap, seeming to digest all this new information. The girl cleared her throat, looking back to Asami, “I guess I should thank you…” she said, waiting.

“Oh! Asami, my name’s Asami,” Asami said, putting her hand out to shake. The stranger looked at the light burns on Asami’s hand with concern. Noticing the hesitation, Asami quickly pulled back her hand, “Sorry, I should really take care of this.” 

Asami stood up, stepping to go towards the basin but was held on at her wrist, gently pulled back towards the bed. Stumbling at the unexpected force, she landed onto the mattress, suddenly face to face and very close to the stranger. The stranger seemed completely unabashed by this and continued holding onto Asami’s hand. “Asami, may I?” the stranger asked, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Asami was confused but nodded, intrigued by what the stranger was going to do. The stranger closed her eyes in concentration, now holding Asami’s hand in between both of her own. “ **_Philhosa la toong_ **,” the stranger announced in a clear voice. As if answering her call, her crystal began to emit a gentle light. 

Asami watched in wonder, feeling her hand tingle and a sudden gentle wind flick at their hair. It all ended as quickly as it started, the stranger pulled back releasing Asami's hand and began undoing the bandages around her shoulder. Alarmed at the sudden movement that the girl was doing with her injured shoulder, Asami’s hand jumped to stop her, “Wait wha-” the perfectly healed skin of Asami’s palm caught her attention. Closing her hand into a fist and opening it again, Asami couldn’t believe what she was seeing, it felt like it never was burnt. A nervous chuckle from the stranger made her look up. With the bandages gone, Asami saw that the wound was also gone without a trace.

“I’ve never done that by myself but it was the least I could do, thank you for saving me Asami. I’m Korra of the Southern Waters,” she said with a smile, one hand nervously scratching the back of her neck, fingers threading through her loose cocoa hair, the other hand held out.

Asami shook Korra's hand, spaced out thinking about what just happened. Realising how long she had been holding on Korra's hand, she let go, embarrassed with a face completely beet red. She stood abruptly and stepped over to the wardrobe next to the bed, she grabbed a new pair of pants and a sleeveless shirt for herself and a set of green working clothes she had spare. Turning around, she placed the spare set on the bed, "You'll have to wear these in the meanwhile, I'll head upstairs to give you some privacy and get started on breakfast."

She spun around and made her midway up the ladder in the middle of the workshop, "You can wash up at the basin, there's a clean washcloth, a towel and your hair ties, just come up when you're ready," she said, offering a small kind smile, disappearing to the floor above.

* * *

  
  


Korra watched Asami leave, her eyes lingering at the hole in the ceiling that Asami disappeared into. Korra stood up and saw that the bruises were healed, surprised that the incantation had worked so well, she had only ever seen her father do it once to himself when she was very young. Walking confidently, she took the clothes to the basin and had a look around the room on her way. There was a mix of intricately drawn designs of aircrafts that were aged with their lines beginning to fade and newer designs all tacked onto the walls in splotches. A large aircraft frame hung from the ceiling in the middle of this workshop bedroom, parts and pieces littered the room in organised piles. 

Korra wiped herself down with the washcloth and dried herself with the towel, feeling instantly refreshed. She put on the clothes and flat shoes, they were a good fit albeit looser and thinner than what she was used to in the snow. Looking out the window above the basin, Korra's jaw went slack. She had never seen so much grass before, she briefly wondered if her parents had ever seen this much grass either. Her parents. Her brow furrowed, she had spent the two weeks as a hostage wondering about her parents, had they really died? Korra had cried herself to sleep those nights in containment, mourning the probable loss of her parents. She cried until she couldn't anymore, her depression morphed into anger at Unalaq. She could feel that the first conversation with Unalaq had been an act, she knew that he had something to do with them. She had to do something about her uncle, she suspected that he would be looking for her and if not her then her father's crystal. Her mind drifted to Asami, this kind stranger that took her in and took care of her, let her sleep in her bed as if it were nothing. Asami's smile played in Korra's mind making Korra sharply inhale at the thought of Unalaq doing anything to her. Korra won't let that happen. 

She looked over to the mirror on the wall and tied her hair into her usual ponytail and parts. Looking above the mirror, Korra saw a photograph of a large swell of clouds swirling around what looked to be a monolith of a castle on a floating island. Korra froze when she read the handwritten text underneath.

_Laputa, 173 A.G._

"Hey," Korra tensed from the sudden sound, "I was wondering what took you so long," said Asami, walking in from behind her, now dressed in a black and maroon leather jacket, maroon riding pants and boots. Asami followed Korra's eye line to the photograph, "My father took that photo," she explained, gesturing to the portrait of the figure that Korra vaguely recognised as Hiroshi Sato from the newspapers, inventor of nearly every modern-day vehicle, nicknamed the Father of the Industrial Age. 

"You're Hiroshi Sato's daughter?" Korra asked, her brows raised. 

Asami's eyes narrowed in on Korra, "What do you know about my father?" Asami said, almost accusatory.

Korra raised her hands in defence and took a small step back, "N- Nothing, I know about all the great things he made and that's it. Does he live here with you?" 

*

Asami's face darkened as she turned away, her arms wrapped around herself, "No, he got involved in a huge scandal and his reputation suffered because of it. No one believed that he took that photo of Laputa, he spent the rest of his life trying to prove that it was real until," Asami's grip on herself tightened, as her voice cracked, "It all got too hard for him and he killed himself."

Korra watched Asami get smaller and smaller within herself, she reached out to touch Asami's shoulder and hesitated, pulling back slightly. Korra swallowed, looking at the ground before gingerly touching Asami's shoulder.

"I'm sorry about your dad and that you went through that," Korra whispered in a hushed tone. Asami gave a small nod, slowly unfolding her arms, her hand barely touching Korra's. 

*

Asami took a step back out of Korra's reach, hurriedly wiping her face and putting on a smile. "But one day, I’m going to finish that plane, find Laputa and clear his name,” she declared, her expression so resolute that Korra admired it. “Breakfast's ready, hope you like eggs because I don't know how to cook much else."

Korra caught on to the change in mood and nodded, offering a small smile in return. Korra followed Asami up the ladder into a cozy kitchen with a small wood fire stove and a family-sized dining table. In one corner sat a drafting table with a box of rolled up paper and in the opposite corner was a couch in front of a shelf with stacks of books and a violin stored lovingly on the top shelf.

Korra wanted to look around more but heard the motors of an approaching automobile, she paced to the window facing the road and sure enough, a green automobile was parked up the hill on the road. Asami joined Korra at the window, curious at what had caught her attention.

“An automobile? Out here?” Asami wondered out loud. She peered, rolling her eyes at the car’s design, scoffing, “A Cabbage car.”

Korra and Asami continued watching, a stern-looking woman with mid-length grey hair and two scars along her cheek peaked out from the car, seemed to be surveying the area. A young woman with a short bob exited the car, dressed in a green cotton dress with a matching green cloche hat. A young man followed her, dressed in a brown suit with a green tie. The automobile drove off, leaving the young couple to walk towards Asami’s home. Korra’s eyes widened. It was the pirate who busted down the door on the airship. 

Korra could feel Asami watching her curiously. Korra, while watching the window intently, inched her way to the kitchen bench, taking a hold of the cast iron pan that was sitting there to cool. “What are you doing? Do you know them?” asked Asami, watching Korra hold the pan like a weapon.

Korra broke her one-sided staring competition to look at Asami’s concerned eyes staring at her, she lowered the pan, “I’m arming myself, they’re the pirates that attacked the airship, they’re after me.”

Asami's mind ticked, she took a deep breath and walked towards Korra, gently taking the pan out of her hands and back onto the bench. “If they’re pirates then they might have guns, we have to be smart about this,” Asami attempted to reason, Korra paused before giving a small nod. Asami began scanning the room, lunging for the golf cap and silk scarf that sat on the coat stand. She packed their breakfast and threw it into her messenger bag. Korra watched Asami run around the room like a complete whirlwind.

Asami gripped onto Korra’s shoulders with intensity, looking her right in the eye with her own shining a brilliant emerald. “Just trust me, alright? I’ll get you out of here.”

Korra stared back and nodded with the same ferocity. Asami put the hat onto Korra’s head, tucking her hair into it. She wrapped the scarf around Korra’s tattoo, tying it. “Follow me and don’t show your face, we’re going to run,” Asami ordered, putting her bag onto her shoulder. 

Just when there was going to be a knock on the door, Asami burst through running past the two pirates with Korra following right behind. “Hey!” called out the man who Korra recalled being named Bolin. Curiously, the young woman was nowhere to be seen.

Asami stopped, pushing Korra behind her, blocking his view. “Yeah, what? We’re really busy, could you make it quick?” Asami said, panting and sounding more exhausted than she is. 

“Have you seen a girl about your age around here? Long dark brown hair, tanned skin, blue eyes and a blue dress?” he questioned. Korra shrank behind Asami and pulled the cap further down.

“No, haven’t seen anyone like that. Oh, wait! I saw my boss's daughters the other day but they're twelve and ten,” Asami lied, shrugging. 

“Ah, well. Thanks anyway,” he replied, standing awkwardly and waving goodbye.

Asami didn’t wait, grabbing Korra’s hand and running towards town along the dirt road. “Sounds like they’re definitely looking for you. We’ll find some help in town,” Asami said in a hushed voice, squeezing Korra’s hand.

Korra looked at their still conjoined hands as they ran, unknowingly breaking into a grin.

  
  


Unbeknownst to Korra and Asami, a hunched figure watched on as the pair disappeared into the town.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonjour, it me again after a solid bit. Ever tried holding a cast iron pan like a weapon? They're bloody heavy. Could really do some damage.  
> So remember to like, comment and subscribe! (please read that in a youtube voice) but for real, come say hi in the comments, I'm curious about who's reads my junk
> 
> special thanks again to my beta! (may her dice arrive soon)


	5. Zaofu Village

The air whipped at Asami’s black hair, flowing in loose curls behind her. Asami threw a glance over her shoulder back at her home. She saw the female pirate emerge from the lower entrance of her house, yelling at the male pirate. She broke her grip with Korra, “They know it’s you, come on, we’re nearly there,” Asami called out, urgency creeping into her voice. Pushing forward, she felt Korra keeping up the pace behind her.

The lanes of townhouses were bustling with families readying themselves for the day. Asami could see the curve approaching Tenzin and Bumi's house. They would know what to do and how to help Korra. 

Bumi and Tenzin had always had a presence in Asami's life, having met her parents when they first moved to Zaofu from Republic City for a quieter life that allowed Hiroshi to design and operate away from the politics of the city. Bumi had left the military as a decorated major. A lack of direction morphed him into a depressed alcoholic after an injury deemed him unfit for action; having met Hiroshi had given him purpose once again by becoming a pilot. Specifically, a Future Industries test pilot. Tenzin, Bumi's younger brother, had settled with his young wife, Pema, in Zaofu after years of living the nomadic lifestyle and found a friend in Hiroshi, bonding over discussions of philosophy. Growing up, Asami saw them as goofy uncle Bumi that taught her how to fight and her (sometimes) strict uncle Tenzin who would sneak an extra bun for her after dessert. 

Asami could see the house just up ahead but furrowed her brow at the sight of Tenzin, Bumi and Pema standing across from a tall man in a pinstripe suit with slicked-back black hair and a woman dressed in a dark cardigan and green skirt with stockings and boots, her hair tied in a tight bun. She saw from the tight postures and crossed arms of her uncles and aunt that these strangers were unwelcome. Cupping her hands around her mouth, Asami yelled, "Tenzin! Bumi! Pema!"

The strangers turned around towards Asami and Korra. The man bore a striking resemblance to the male pirate that knocked on her door. Asami heard Korra sharply inhale. Quickly sparing a glance at Korra, she saw the same fear that struck Korra earlier. Pirates. 

Korra tripped, stumbling before catching her footing with a hard stomp. The golf cap fell, her ponytail and side parts fell out, flowing freely.

Recognition flashed on the suited man’s face, "That's her!" he yelled. They sprung into action, running towards Korra and Asami, hunched as if ready to catch them with their open arms.

Asami sped up towards the female pirate in front of her, leaving a slowing Korra behind, and reached out with her hand to the pirate’s shoulder. With a firm grip, Asami jumped and pivoted on the pirate’s shoulder, flipping over her hunched back and landing in front of a surprised Tenzin and Pema. Asami turned to face the pirate who had stumbled to the ground, startled. Asami looked up and saw Korra’s eyes fire up as she ran towards the male pirate, ducking before being captured in his grip and grabbing hold of his ankle, yanking him up and flipping him over her head with a grunt. He fell onto his back, winded and dazed, coughing and blinking as he realised what had happened. 

“Wow,” Asami marvelled under her breath, admiring Korra’s strength.

“Wow, yourself,” Korra answered back with a crooked grin, her cerulean eyes shining with equal admiration.

The two pirates that were at Asami’s had finally caught up, panting and scanning over the commotion while helping the other two to stand up. Asami broke from her gaze on Korra and pulled the tan girl over.

“They’re pirates and they’re after this girl, you gotta help me get her out of here,” Asami pleaded, looking at her uncles and aunt. They looked at each other with bamboozled expressions in a silent conversation before nodding. Pema dragged Korra and Asami by their arms with a steel grip and pushed them into the open door of their house, shutting it behind her. 

Pema looked back and forth at Korra and Asami, holding them by their shoulders, “I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into Asami but we’ll hold them off. Now ju- Meelo?” Marching right past them towards the door was Tenzin and Pema’s third child, holding a battered cast iron pan on his shoulder.

“Mum! Enough chit chat, time to beat up those pirates,” Meelo exclaimed at Pema with his chest puffed.

“I think not, young man. We do not condone violence in this house, back to your room,” ordered Pema, arms crossed. 

Begrudgingly, Meelo marched off back down the hall.

“Without the pan,” Pema added. Meelo huffed, walking back to his mother and handing her the pan. Meelo walked back again, angrily mumbling to himself.

Asami could faintly hear the pirates’ muffled voices being drowned out by the townsfolk now gathering in front of Tenzin’s house. “Leave out the back quickly if you want to help this pretty friend of yours,” Pema suggested, with a playful lilt.

Asami saw a faint blush grow on Korra’s cheeks, Asami smiled and thanked Pema. Asami gestured for Korra to follow and she jogged out to the backdoor into the laneway that ran between the townhouses. “Come on, we can get out to the tracks and maybe find you a way to the City of Gao Ling,” Asami suggested, power walking through the small puddles that littered the laneway. 

Korra followed silently but Asami felt a question brewing in her new companion.

Asami stopped in her tracks and looked back with concern, “Is something wrong?”

Korra looked down sheepishly, holding onto her own bicep, “Are they going to be okay? The townspeople? They were just so ready to help and y- you,” Korra rambled as she looked up at Asami with growing uncertainty, “You took me in and now you’re helping me run away from  _ pirates _ . You shouldn’t have to be involved in this.”

Asami softened and stepped closer to Korra, “It just feels like the right thing to do,” Asami paused for a moment, suddenly reflecting on her mother but stopped before letting her mind get too solemn, “I wouldn't be worried about them if anything I'd be worried for the pirates," Asami joked with a reassuring smile.

Korra gave a small laugh, "Alright alright, where are these tracks you talk so highly of? I've never seen so many houses, let alone actual train tracks."

Asami was baffled. “Well that’s going to change,” she threw her hair over her shoulder and looked at Korra with a smile, “I’m going to show you all I can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short one. 
> 
> This week has been a rough one for me. I hope that this provides as much a sense of escapism for you as it does for me.
> 
> It's my beta's birthday this week. She's the bestest beta (and friend) out there, wish her a happy birthday!


	6. Serpent's Pass

Korra and Asami made their way through the winding alleys of the town away from the main roads. Korra watched Asami's figure as they walked, sparing an occasional glance over her shoulder for anyone following them. Asami was a strange existence to Korra. From what she could tell, Asami was smart in a way Korra could only ever dream of, undeniably the most breathtakingly beautiful person Korra has ever seen and incredibly acrobatic but yet, there was a saintlike kindness and friendliness in Asami that made Korra feel like she's known Asami for years. She felt comfort in Asami that she hasn't felt since her parents left.

They reached a huge tunnel opening in the border wall with train tracks that ran into town. 

"Here are the tracks, just a bit longer and we can find you a train. Might take a while, it's not a trading day," explained Asami as Korra nodded along.

Asami led Korra through the dark, damp tunnel. There was bright light signalling the end of the tunnel.

Footsteps on shifting gravel echoed through the silence. Korra was too stuck in her thoughts about the companion in front of her.

"Korra?" called Asami, looking back and waiting for Korra to catch up.

Korra joined Asami, now walking side by side. They exited the tunnel onto a wooden bridge supporting a never-ending railway. Korra squinted at the bright sun, shielding her eyes with her hand to get a moment to adjust.

Before them, was a vast narrow canyon with simple huts scattered on the rock walls connected by wooden staircases. Korra’s jaw dropped as she looked down over the bridge’s edge, the railway was suspended over a deep chasm that fades into black.

“Welcome to Serpent’s Pass, greatest trading hub and stopover for train workers in the Earth Kingdom,” announced Asami, theatrically gesturing at their surroundings as they continued walking.

Korra raised her eyebrow, “I thought that Serpent’s Pass was some old legend with an angry sea dragon that would attack travellers,” she said, raising her hands like claws and baring her teeth.

Asami made a sound of amusement, “You’re not wrong. Folks say that the shape of the curved narrow canyon is actually the final resting place of the sea dragon, others say the landlady was a pirate that fought battles in the real Serpent’s Pass and named it for nostalgia’s sake,” Asami lowered her voice as if to share a secret, a hint of playfulness in her eyes, “But if you ask Old Toph herself, she would just say it’s a squiggly hole in the ground.”

Korra couldn’t help but let out a laugh, Asami laughing along with her. "She sounds like a character," squeezed out Korra. 

"She's old, grumpy and blind, she's got a killer deadpan though," said Asami with a noncommittal shrug.

A loud bell rang in front of them, followed by faint sounds of an engine. Both Asami and Korra looked up and saw a small dark blue train engine with a thin trail of smoke pulling two carts away from them. 

"Varrick! Hey Varrick!" yelled Asami, cupping her hands around her mouth. A man with a similar tan to Korra's and wavy hair popped his head out of the driver's compartment window with a squint, breaking into a smile at the sight of Asami.

"Looks like we've got a ride," Asami said, patting Korra's shoulder before running towards the train.

Korra followed, keeping up with the raven-haired girl, running a step behind.

Asami caught up to the last cart, jumping onto the rear step and latching onto the side with her hands. Korra jumped onto the same step after Asami, her front colliding with the other girl's back, her hands holding onto the edge outside of Asami's grip.

Korra broke into a deep blush at the realisation of how close their bodies are, actively trying to ignore the brushes of contact, "I- uh, I didn't-"

“You’re good- I mean, we’re good!” Asami stammered out. 

Korra let one hand go and leaned away as the taller girl climbed into the cart. Korra jumped into the cart, following Asami into the driver’s compartment.

The train conductor ushered them in, twizzling his thin moustache between his fingers, a fitted blue suit adorned his body. Varrick reminded her of a sleek otter penguin with how well dressed he was for someone driving a train. 

Korra watched as Varrick clapped Asami’s back and exclaimed, “Asami! What are you doing out here, you little rascal? Who’s this? Are you getting others in trouble?” He interrogated, pointing at Asami who pulled back from the sudden intrusion of personal space and was comically looking back and forth between Varrick’s face and finger.

“I found Korra falling from the sky and now we’re running away from pirates?” Asami explained with a small unsure lilt.

Varrick gave Asami a scrutinizing stare for a moment before letting out a loud guffaw, “Brilliant!” he turned to Korra and shook her hand with a ferocity, "You! You must be Korra! Welcome aboard, now make yourself useful," shoving a shovel into Korra's hands and turning his attention to checking the train's controls.

Korra was stunned but connected the dots between the open furnace and the box of coal in the corner. Shrugging, Korra was about to get started when Asami's hand softly touching her own stopped her. Korra looked up, meeting shy emerald eyes.

"I can do that," offered the raven-haired girl. 

Korra shook her head with a small shrug and smile, “No problem at all, easy stuff compared to the ranch.” Korra began shovelling the coal into the furnace, not acknowledging the green eyes watching her and the presence of the loud eccentric train driver until curiosity won her over, “So how do you two know each other?”

“Varrick was an engineer that worked for my dad," Asami answered, almost passively.

"An engineer?!" the train driver screeched, offended, "I was THE engineer at Future Industries! Second to Hiroshi himself!" he declared, pointing his thumb to his chest. "Little Sato here would've been on her way into engineering too, tinkered away in the workshop as soon as she could walk," he said, reminiscing.

Korra looked to Asami who looked away, out the window with a slightly embarrassed blush.

Varrick continued, "Would've made a good company president too if the military hadn't-"

"Don't."

Asami snapped a steel gaze onto Varrick. Korra had never heard the kind girl sound so cold.

The train driver looked like a kicked puppy, "Asami, I didn't mean t- I'm sorry- if I had tried harder back then-" 

"It's fine, it wasn't anyone's fault," Asami said softer now, ending the conversation, looking back out the window. The train compartment felt suffocatingly solemn.

Varrick had a tight-lipped frown as he turned his attention back to the controls.

Korra walked over to Asami, faintly hearing her mumble under her breath, "Can't change the past anyway." 

Korra spoke up, "But we can change the future," she offered a small smile, the same one she had back in the workshop, "or at least try."

Asami nodded briefly, turning her head slightly and continuing to look out the window. The Southern girl watched the solemn figure in front of her, wishing there was something more that she could do, to comfort her. Feeling slightly dejected, she looked out the back window, watching the canyon go pass.

A distant engine rattled away, echoing through Serpent's Pass. Curious, Korra stuck her head out of the train cabin and looked for the source of the noise. Nothing. 

Ducking her head back into the cabin, she asked, "Did you guys hear that?"

She was answered with unsure no's and shrugs. Her brow furrowed in thought, she was sure she heard something. 

Her concentration broke at the sound of a vehicle horn honking. All three in the train were startled and raced over to the right window, sticking their heads out to look for the sound. 

The same automobile from the house was speeding along the cliff's edge, making its way down the cliff face along the cut out road, its many passengers shouting indistinguishable yells. Korra and Asami poked their heads back into the cabin, sharing a knowing glance. The pirates found them.

“Varrick, how fast can you make this train go?” Asami urgently asked.

His eyes lit with determination, “We’re going to find out,” he said, pushing his sleeves up. He began cranking dials and pulling levers, the train lurching forward in response, he turned with a triumphant grin, “She needs more fuel though!”

“Right!” Korra yelled back, returning to her previous responsibility of shovelling coal, a light sweat building on her forehead.

A loud sound of wood cracking and the rumbling automobile caused everyone to look behind to see it quickly approaching the train. The grey-haired lady now stood brazenly upon the bonnet of the automobile, somehow balanced with her large grey poofy skirt billowing in the wind, a hand pointing towards the train and another brandishing a hand mortar. As the automobile sped up towards the rear cart, the grey-haired pirate ripped off the skirt of her dress to reveal dark grey riding pants and boots.

Asami climbed out of the back window and pulled at the safety latch that held the first cart to the train engine. She climbed back up to the window, holding onto the frame before kicking the cart towards the automobile.

The grey-haired pirate stumbled at the collision but quickly regained her composure before ordering in a sharp voice, “Charge!” The automobile drove forward, pushing the cart into the rear of the train.

Korra scrambled to pull Asami away from being crushed. The two pirates from the airship climbed onto the last cart, running in tandem towards the driver’s compartment. 

Korra felt Asami pull away to straddle the front wall of the first cart as she furiously cranked away at the safety brake. Too focussed at the task at hand, Asami ignored the quickly approaching pirates. 

The Southern girl climbed onto the window frame, holding onto the top and braced in a squat. Just as the pirates were about to reach Asami, Korra sprung out, kicking the well-dressed men in their faces. They fell into the cart in a daze as Korra held onto the train’s frame.

The carts screeched to a halt as Asami let out a loud, “Ha!” She swung her leg over the cart, jumping to the train, her face falling slack when she realised she was going to fall short. Korra panicked, stretching out to catch the falling girl. Relieved when she felt a strong grip on her forearm as she clasped Asami’s, she quickly was pulled down by the sudden weight.

"I've got you," she grunted under the uneven strain of Asami’s weight across her arms. Korra's muscles screamed as she pulled the other girl to safety. Asami latched onto the window frame nodding her thanks. 

"Get back here!" yelled the grey-haired pirate who found her way to the front cart, her figure getting smaller with distance. 

For a moment, Korra and Asami hung off the back of the train to catch their breath. Korra dropped her head against the wall with a small thud, closing her eyes and listening to the engine chug along. 

Opening her eyes again, she was welcomed by a sight of Asami in a similar pose, resting her head against her outstretched arm with her eyes closed. Korra could feel the edges of her lips pull into a grin as she continued to stare at Asami.

The Southern girl found herself admiring the girl in front of her, not just for her beauty but in her quick wit and fearlessness. Asami blinked open her eyes, curious at the girl looking back at her, "What?" she asked, a small smile began to reflect her own.

“You’re just so amazing, Asami Sato, so much so,” Korra affirmed, smiling brighter than before.

Asami's red painted lips broke in a shining grin, dazzling Korra even more, a faint blush growing on her cheeks.

As quick as their moment started, it ended as they heard a loud armoured tank chug along the rails in front of Varrick's small train. Both vehicles coming to a slow stop in front of each other. The girls peeked her heads in the window, looking through the cabin at the tank in front of them. Varrick stood broadly, glancing back at them and gesturing for them to duck back down.

As if jumping a complete evolution, Varrick's demeanour shifted from serious to aloof as he leaned out the side window casually and waved at the tank. "Ahoy there! Fancy seeing the army out here!”

A door pops open on the side of the armoured train and a soldier climbs out followed by the familiar hunched figure of one of the twins. Korra froze, stilling her breath for a moment. If her cousin is here then Unalaq is not far behind. She looked worriedly at Asami who looked back inquisitively. 

“Who’s that?” Asami mouthed.

“Trouble,” she mouthed back.

“Are you aware that you are harbouring a fugitive?” the low monotone voice of Desna asks Varrick.

“Fugitive? I was driving my darling train out of the pass all on my lonesome, where would I get a fugitive from?” he asks incredulously, his hand splayed on his chest in offence.

“If you hand her over then we won’t hang you and that girl she was with,” Desna threatened.

Varrick paused and Asami’s breath hitched.

Korra’s jaw clenched, inhaling as she understood the danger of her presence to those around her. She took a step forward to reveal herself but was pulled back by Asami who clamped her hand over Korra’s mouth.

Just as Korra was about to put up some resistance, a loud bang from down the railroad caught the attention of everyone. Smoke wisped out of the grey-haired pirate’s hand mortar as she drove the green automobile towards them, now pushing a single train cart. 

Korra broke out of Asami’s grip and ran to the merged railroad that veered off towards an open tunnel in the cliff. Chaos erupted with conflicting shouts from Desna and the soldier ordering the tank to fire at the pirates and to capture Korra. The Southern girl looked back to see Asami running right behind her and steam coming from Varrick’s train completely obscuring the soldier and Desna.

“Don’t follow me! They’ll kill-” a gunshot whistled past the running girls, ducking as they ran. 

“I’m not letting you go alone!” the raven-haired girl yelled.

The automobile turned, careening towards Korra and Asami, rattling over the bumps of the railway. A loud whirring came from the tank before shooting a blast at the automobile, narrowly missing and hitting the scaffolding of the railroad.

The boards underneath Korra’s feet began to sway and give way. The pirates accelerated to escape the destruction. Driving straight towards them.

It got harder to maintain balance or any stability on the tracks. The pirates were getting dangerously close. In a split decision, Korra grabbed Asami's waist, "Hold on," and pulled her off to the side; the automobile driving right past them. The wooden structure broke underneath them.

The girls fell for a moment before Korra's hand desperately caught onto a broken wooden beam, she felt the wind get knocked out of her as she instinctively held onto Asami tighter to her own body. Asami's arms hooked onto Korra's neck, tightening her hold.

Cracks of wood echoed into the canyon before a final  **SNAP.**

They held onto each other as they screamed, falling into black nothingness.

Suddenly, streams of blue light burst out from between Korra and Asami’s embrace. They began floating in complete weightlessness, slowly descending. Korra felt nothing like it, she looked up to see Asami mirroring the same sense of wonder, the blue light shining in her emerald eyes. They looked at each other, their legs now floating up and their grips in each other’s hands, and broke into marvelled laughter.

Asami’s eyes closed as if to enjoy the serene sensation of floating. Korra found herself closing her own eyes, her face gravitating towards the other girl’s before gently touching their foreheads together. 

The Southern girl gently inhaled, smelling a soothing scent of jasmine, a smell she’ll forever associate with Asami now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hi there, it's been a while...  
> I had a bit of a block and work piled up so I couldn't keep up with the weekly updates I somehow was putting out.  
> I do have a fun fact for you all though, I sent my beta a meme of Naga and said "rip" and she called me rude. :')  
> We got a Korrasami forehead boop! A very exciting moment amidst two girls running away from pirates and the military.
> 
> A fun spoiler for next chapter! (next location will be the Cave of Two Lovers)


	7. Cave of Two Lovers

Asami’s boot touched down onto the dirt first, her other boot followed as she adjusted to feeling her weight again. They had floated down a hole that progressively narrowed the further down they went. 

The blue glow of Korra’s pendant lit the space around them but began to dim when she landed softly on the ground beside Asami. 

"Hold on," Asami crouched down and sifted through her bag for her tiny oil lamp. The glow was dissipating at a rapid rate as Asami struggled to look for her box of matches.

"Um...Asami?" Korra said, unsure.

"Wait, I've got this," Asami assured, still looking for her matches. She had never regretted carrying so many knick-knacks until now.

Just as darkness enveloped them, a single strike of a match lit. The raven-haired girl delicately lit her small lamp, a muted warm light now showing their surroundings.

"Where are we?" Korra pondered out loud, observing the rock walls around them.

Asami followed Korra’s line of sight before something caught her attention, a carving of lettering and an arrow on the wall.

  1. _WSW._



“The old mines, I think,” Asami’s gaze drifted to the Southern girl’s face looking back at her. Korra’s eyes were quickly becoming one of her most favourite colours with bright blue speckled cyan and a deep grey that ran throughout. Asami had never really connected with anyone like she did with Korra, even in childhood. The other children pegged her as a know-it-all spoilt brat without getting to know her. Her sensitive outlook hardened when her father decided to curate her already natural charisma for business by teaching her how to deal with difficult personalities, but Korra never showed any malice or judgement that others would usually show. She found comfort in Korra's kind hearted concern for Asami’s wellbeing and for those of the townsfolk. Was this what real friendship was? Was it something else?

"We're three layers underground and west-south-west of the mine exit, we should follow the arrow," she continued, pointing down the tunnel.

A loud grumble from Korra's stomach bellowed into the tunnel, who flinched and covered her abdomen in embarrassment. Asami felt bad for not having had a chance to have shared the food she had packed earlier but offered a small laugh instead, "Hopefully we'll find a good spot for breakfast first." 

"Yes, please," Korra agreed, walking alongside Asami.

Together they walked through the tunnel, these mines had long since been abandoned before Asami was even born but the raven-haired girl felt some sense of familiarity in the place.

They exited the tunnel into a large opening, the rock walls had transitioned into a damp grey but the ground managed to stay dry.

"This seems like a good spot," Asami said, placing the lamp on the ground and sitting cross-legged.

Korra plopped down next to her, pressing her own feet together while holding onto her ankles. 

Asami pushed through the many (useful) bits and bobs that cluttered her bag, pulling out the tins she prepared earlier. She handed one to Korra before opening a tin herself. 

There laid a slightly messy lump of scrambled egg, piled on a ham slice on a thick slice of sourdough. Furrowing her brow, Asami nudged the egg back onto the bread in an orderly fashion.

"So you mentioned you lived at a ranch?" Asami asked, lifting her breakfast to her mouth and looking to Korra to answer. The Southern girl met her gaze, mouth closed tightly with both cheeks filled with food, sheepish. Asami noticed a crumb laying high on Korra's right cheek. 

"Sorry," she said, muffled. She swallowed the mass in her mouth before continuing, "I grew up at the ranch with my parents and my polar bear dog, my parents are buffalo yak farmers and I am- was too," she faltered, looking down at her lap.

"Your parents are probably looking for you, we better get you home fast," Asami tried to assure with a small smile, bending slightly to meet Korra's gaze.

"They-" Korra's voice broke as her brows furrowed and her whole posture and neck tensed, "they're probably dead."

Asami's heart broke for Korra, a familiar ache resonated from her chest as she reached for Korra’s tightly clenched fist. Her face softened, her hand cupping Korra's hand, gently running her thumb over the upset girl's knuckles, "You don't have to talk about it."

Asami offered Korra an out from the topic. It seemed like she was going to take the opportunity when she saw tears run down Korra's face but froze when she felt the Southern girl’s fingers interlace her own. Small sniffles broke the cold silence that swallowed them, echoes of water drips occasionally filling the air.

"Th- the weird guy that talked to Varrick, he's my cousin and his father, my uncle, met with my parents and I haven’t seen them since," Korra croaked out, shrinking more into herself. "I think- no, I know he had something to do with them, he tried to convince me and to make me go with him but he just-" she let out an exasperated yell, hot angry tears now flowing down her face as sobs wracked her body. 

Asami watched on, her grip tightening in response to Korra's. She dusted off the crumbs from her other hand and squeezed Korra's bicep, hoping it conveyed the understanding she felt towards Korra's anger.

She knew it all too well, the loss of both parents, the feeling of the ground dissipating right under her feet.

The bitter anger at the world.

The numbing loneliness.

“He took me from my home, killed my polar bear dog,” Korra continued, her anger briefly flaring before fizzling out. Asami watched as Korra detached herself from her near embrace and straightened her posture, reaching into her shirt to pull out her pendant, “He wants this and me and I can’t figure out why.”

Asami felt a hot rage sear through her, “I won’t let him,” she said adamantly. She felt the Southern girl’s surprised look.

The raven-haired girl was practically seething as she looked away, hissing under her breath, “What a bastard! How can someone be so cruel to their own family?!”

She looked back to Korra, "I'll get you home, we'll find a way."

"I don't have anything waiting for me at home anymore, I need to stop my uncle somehow, he's up to something. I just know it. And I-" Korra sighed, resigned. She met Asami's gaze, suddenly shy, "I was hoping that I could help you find Laputa afterwards." 

That surprised Asami, "Help? Me?"

"I mean- if you want company and I haven’t known you that long but- it’s just that finding Laputa seems really important to you and so is clearing your father's name and-" Korra stammered as she broke into a small slanted grin, cheeks tinted pink, "you're important to me now too."

Asami blushed, shocked at the honest admission. The warmth she felt for Korra had come back at full force, washing away the reminiscent feeling of loneliness. She couldn’t help but mirror Korra’s smile. She couldn’t think of the words to reply so instead offered her pinky out.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Their pinkies linked, lightly squeezing each other.

Asami stared at Korra’s cerulean eyes, shining a bit brighter in the gentle light of her lamp before raising her brow at the sound of a deep gravelly voice in the distance.  _ Singing _ .

_ “Two lovers, forbidden from one another, _

_ A war divides their people,” _

The raven-haired girl looked at the entrance into the cavern they had come in from, the source of the singing, and back to Korra who was looking as curious as she felt.

_ “And a mountain divides them apart, _

_ Built a path to be together,” _

The voice was getting closer. Asami stood up, covering Korra, feeling both wary and intrigued at such a jovial singing voice in the middle of the abandoned mines. She lifted the lamp, revealing a chuckling round human silhouette.

"For the life of me, I can't remember the next lyri- Yasuko?" An old, bearded man with a sizable belly and a camping-style backpack stepped out from the shadows. He stood in dark green traditional robes, almost looking as if he stepped out from a completely different time. Asami stood still, sizing this old man who looked back at her in confusion and recognition. "Is that you? You haven't aged at all!"

The name and familiarity threw her off, "You must be mistaken," she said, uncomfortable.

He shuffled closer, squinting at Asami and grinning with delight, "You look just like the day I met you, Mrs Sato, a Jasmine flower as fair is hard to forget."

Asami stiffened as she looked down to the ground, her arm instinctively crossing to hold her other forearm, "My mother passed away years ago." 

She felt a hand touch her shoulder from behind, turning her head slightly to see it was Korra offering a small, solemn smile. Nodding back, she felt the hands of the stranger on her biceps giving her a gentle squeeze. 

The old man was in front of her, his grin now replaced by a sad, tight-lipped smile. Asami had never seen someone exude so much friendliness but there was something so welcoming about the elderly man in front of her.

"I met your mother at my tea shop, she was one of my best customers and became a very dear friend. She lives on in you, I can see so much of her in you," he said in a paced grandfatherly way, his warm light brown eyes radiating a calmness into Asami.

"I- thank you but how do you know my mother? Who are you?" asked Asami, feeling Korra stand beside her. Korra's hand was still on Asami's shoulder, anchoring her.

"Oh sorry child, I must have given you a fright. I am Iroh, proud founder of the Jasmine Dragon tea shop in Ba Sing Se. She came upon my store when she would have been about your age," he replied with a warm smile, "I'm more confused about why two young ladies are down in the mines by themselves."

Asami looked to Korra who looked back before both mutually shrugging, "It's a long story," answered Korra.

Iroh's eyebrow rose before turning around and waving for the two girls to follow, "Come, we'll have a pot of tea at my camp, there's all the time in the world."

Iroh's camp was in a nearby cavern, next a large lake with several rock formations poking through. It looked to be a comfortable home away from home with a well cared for tent and a travel-sized oil burner that was lit as soon as the trio arrived.

As Iroh got to work on a pot of tea, the girls took turns explaining the strange turn of events that led them to the mines. Asami found that she trusted Iroh, anyone that would speak so fondly and genuinely of her mother was good in her books. 

The elderly tea maker gave a hearty laugh, "The military and pirates hunting down two girls, does everyone have so much free time now? The spirits have been so restless lately, no wonder why…" he pondered aloud.

"The spirits?" Korra asked, intrigue clear in her voice as she sat closely next to Asami who was silently trying to decipher why being this close simultaneously made her want to shy away yet never leave the warmth that Korra emanated.

Iroh put down his cup at the question and bent down to snuff out the fire, submerging them into complete darkness.

Asami looked around, seeing absolutely nothing in this pregnant pause.

Suddenly a small blue speck of light blinked in the corner of her eye. Asami quickly turned her head but saw nothing but pitch black. Growing ever curious, Asami began to slowly look around the black cavern and saw more blinking lights appear and disappear. Soon, millions of small lights covered the rocky surfaces around them, blinking and pulsing in and out of existence.

As if to answer a call, a large blue glow bloomed next to her. Asami turned to see it originate from Korra's pendant. Korra looked back in equal confusion.

"Is that- how?" Iroh asked, awestruck, "How do you have a Laputian crystal?"

"It's a family heirloom."

Iroh hummed, brows deeply furrowed and looking more disturbed, "Can you put that away? The spirits are too loud."

Iroh quickly lit the fire again, silencing the lights that engulfed them as Korra tucked the pendant under her shirt again.

"I've only heard of pure crystals when I was a child, for a long time I believed that it was only a myth but now," he turned to face Korra, "I've heard great things about them, marvellous wonders but also horrible, terrible things. You must protect it, Korra."

Asami found herself grabbing hold of Korra's hand, giving a reassuring squeeze. Korra's clouded blue eyes met with Asami's, giving a small nod.

"I promised my dad that I would keep it safe and I plan to."

The unlikely trio sat at the camp, sharing stories and drinking a never-ending amount of tea well into the night, agreeing that disappearing into the mines for a night before making their way out gave time for a plan to be made.

Korra yawned first, barely fighting off the exhaustion that was creeping into her expression. Asami realised she was beginning to notice more and more of her companion and took off her jacket before rolling it and offering it to Korra as an impromptu pillow. With a slight blush, Korra excused herself to the privacy tent behind Asami while accepting the jacket. Iroh looked on with amusement while refilling Asami's cup.

Asami cleared her throat, her curiosity bubbling over, “How did you meet my mother?” Even as time went, Asami missed her mother. After her death, her father didn’t speak about her, the air always becoming tense whenever she was the topic.

Iroh gave a knowing smile and looked up to the ceiling as if to ponder. “Yasuko came to my tea shop when she was no older than you are now. By the spirits, she was beautiful. She was the subject of adoration for men all over Ba Sing Se. She was an aspiring violinist looking for a venue to play at. How could I say no?”

Asami found herself nodding to the rhetorical question, hanging on every word.

“She played on Tuesdays and Thursdays for nearly a year. My busiest days,” he reminisced, chucking to himself. “A young scraggly man came barrelling in one day, scrolls and books piled in his arms and just dumped them all over one of my tables. He seemed to be in a rush and in search of a quiet place to work so I let him be, gave him a pot of the day’s special and walked away. Then it was Yasuko’s time to play and I’ve never seen a man drop his jaw so fast, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. Eventually, by the end of his performance, she strode over to him and grabbed his teacup, throwing it in his face, telling him to stop staring at her!”

Asami gasped, she’d never imagined her graceful mother do something so brash.

“Except it wasn’t his teacup, it was his inkpot!” he revealed with a hearty guffaw. Asami couldn’t help but laugh along.

“She was so embarrassed but he was beyond smitten, she apologised, they talked and months later, she told me she’s married to the man from earlier. A young inventor by the name of Hiroshi Sato and that they’ll be moving to Republic City.”

Asami was speechless, she never knew the story of how her parents met. Blinking, she had tears running down her face without her realising. Iroh seemed to be slightly thrown but quickly materialised a handkerchief as an offering that Asami thankfully took.

Letting out a ragged breath, Asami felt the need to explain, “When I was six, the depression hit. My father struggled to keep the company afloat. He left to try and sell a plan to some rich family in the Fire Nation, leaving mother and I at home. For a while, we were fine but then mother began getting sicker and sicker. Eventually, she couldn’t leave her bed. I remember sitting next to her bed as she sang me to sleep, her fingers running through my hair and the next morning, she was gone.”

Asami watched as her teardrops dripped onto the rock floor.

"Your father came back, didn't he?" Iroh asked, his thick brows pressed together in a frown.

"Father came back. He came back a suspect for the murder of the son of that rich family. Father said that they had found the island of Laputa on a trial expedition to sell the aircraft they took. On the way back, they flew through a storm and the son died. No one believed him but I did. No one could prove that he was guilty but no one could prove that he was innocent either. They thought his photograph was forged and that he was a desperate lunatic that just lost his wife. He spent years trying to prove Laputa's existence, to prove his innocence but no one made it easy on him. The family of the deceased pulled strings with the military, getting father's company seized indefinitely as investigations were inconclusive. Father was ridiculed. I was ridiculed and never understood why. Father lost the love of his life and wasn't able to be there for her. It all became too much for him. He was there to tuck me in, I fell asleep wondering why he looked so sad. I found him the next morning, he took his own life in the workshop of our house."

Asami's loose grasp on the cooling tea cup grounded her to the present moment. She felt like a husk, completely hollow and spent from retelling- reliving that time. Her eyes stung as she sniffled, wiping her nose and upper lip with the handkerchief, unwilling to look up at the old man. She always felt shame from having such a tragic past, never wanting to be the subject of pity.

She looked to the tent behind her, concerned if her Southern companion had heard her tearful stories. No sign of movement or sound came from the stagnant tent.

“You are so much like them, the both of them,” Iroh said, getting Asami’s attention, “they would be so proud of such a strong daughter. Your mother was fierce and passionate, your father was a brilliant man from what I know and I see all of that in you, Asami.”

He reached over, cupping Asami’s hands. Somehow his words meant more to her, knowing that he was someone that knew her parents before everything that had happened. Asami gave a small nod, feeling smaller than she did in years.

He pulled back and groaned as he stood up, “Go to sleep child, tomorrow will be a big day. I will stay out here, you girls will have my tent for tonight.” Asami nodded and stood.

“Thank you, Iroh,” Asami said in a small voice.  _ For his words, his help, his company, for a small peek at her parents from a friendly outsider. Everything.  _ The words were at the tip of her tongue but she couldn’t vocalise them.

He gave a warm smile in understanding and nodded back.

Asami ducked underneath the tent flap, quietly moving and laying beside a sleeping Korra that was facing the other way. Exhaling a breath, Asami turned her back to Korra, resigning to her sudden exhaustion.

There was a moment of silence, faraway drips into the lake echoed in the cavern before rustling beside her interrupted it. 

She felt Korra shuffle behind her, close but not touching, as Korra’s arm gently fell on top of her own, her hand on top of hers. Asami briefly froze before realising what had happened. 

Korra must’ve turned in her sleep. Slowly Asami warmed to the contact, feeling the earlier comfort blossom again. Asami could feel her eyelids get heavier and heavier as she gave in to her slumber.

She could swear that Korra squeezed her tighter into her hold moments before she faded to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my dear readers, it's been a long while aye?   
> I would apologise if it weren't for the soul-crushing amount of stress I'm under atm. Work just gets busy, amirite?  
> Look at all these korrasami interactions, basically a buffet in this slow molasses build up. What's something you guys would like to see from them?  
> ALSO, I forgot that I never explained what they look like visually. Both season 1 ages and appearances, especially for Asami but Korra has that green outfit from season 4.  
> Special thanks to my beta. She's the bestest fuzzy egg anyone could ask for.  
> Next chapter is at Lake Laogai!


	8. Future Industries Airfield

Korra flinched awake, a gunshot ringing in her ears as she felt the freezing winds scratch at her face in her dreams. She quickly settled when she realised the weight on her body was a sleeping Asami. They had somehow managed to move into a tighter embrace with Asami now resting her head on Korra's chest and her arm across Korra's waist. She was trapped.

With her hand that wasn't trapped under Asami, she rubbed at her eyes with a small groan. The night of her capture replayed on a hellish loop whenever she dreamt. Looking back down at Asami, Korra felt an ache in her chest. She didn't mean to listen to their conversation the night before, she had actually started to lull into a sleep before Iroh startled her awake with his loud laughter. How could someone go through so much and be so kind? Korra's eyes followed the curves of Asami's peaceful face. 

The Southern girl never had much of a chance to befriend anyone in her own age group. Growing up in such an isolated home meant being homeschooled, Korra's best friend was her polar bear dog. But Korra knew that this connection, this camaraderie built on sympathy and care, was something special.

Her chest tightened at the thought of Asami getting hurt further.

With the utmost amount of carefulness that she could muster, Korra managed to untangle herself from Asami and leave the tent without disturbing the sleeping girl.

A jovial Iroh greeted her, "Good morning Korra! Come sit, I’ve made tea," he said as he gestured at the pot sitting on the makeshift campfire. She replied with a small smile and a nod before mirroring the old man's cross legged posture. 

"I may have figured a way out for you girls, I believe it will get you to Gao Ling,” he said, placing a steaming teacup in front of the Southern girl.

Korra's face split into a wide grin, “Really? That’s amazing, Iroh.”

Muted shuffling and the tent flap opening announced Asami’s awakening who soon joined them at the campfire. “Sounds like we have a plan now,” the raven haired girl said as she sat down beside the Southern girl. Korra froze for a moment, feeling her chest flutter at the warmth of Asami’s leg being so close to her own.

“Not that we won’t miss the company,” Asami continued, looking at Iroh directly. The old man smiled back at the sentiment.

“It was my pleasure. Of all the beings I’ve met, you girls have been my favourite,” he added warmly in his gruff voice.

They leisurely ate their breakfast with Iroh sharing stories of his travels after his retirement and made their way to the exit of the caves. 

With his pack piled onto his back, Iroh came to a stop, “I believe this is where we part." 

Before them was a steep, narrow tunnel burrowed through the hard earth, distantly shining daylight from their new exit.

"Thank you so much, Iroh, we probably wouldn't have been able to make it through the caves by ourselves- or enjoyed it as much," Korra said, grinning and trying to convey her gratefulness.

Asami seemed to hesitate for a moment before launching herself into a hug with the elderly man, "There's so much I want to ask but thank you for everything."

Korra could see the emerald eyed girl tighten her hug and Iroh return it as intently. Despite the raven haired girl being taller, Korra saw how much Asami resembled a young child in that very moment.

"You may look just like your mother, but the way I've seen you two are with each other reminds me of that young man that stumbled into my tea shop that fateful day," the old man said, almost teasingly. 

Pulling away from the hug, Asami looked at him appreciatively as he gestured to the tunnel.

As the girls turned to make their way up the tunnel, he added grimly, "Watch over each other, I can sense many dangers ahead of you both." 

Both Korra and Asami turned to ask what he meant but he was gone.

"Must really be in a rush," Korra awkwardly joked, trying to ease the shock of the old man's sudden disappearance. "Come on," she said, offering her hand to the stunned raven haired girl.

Feeling the warm hand in her own, she quickly turned towards the tunnel, hiding the blush growing on her cheeks. The two girls made their way out the tunnel, squinting at the bright sun as they got their bearings.

They were out in an open field, a large flat piece of land that was covered in gravel but now was overgrown with wild grass.

Korra looked out on the expanse before her, simply taking in the foreign landscape. She looked around, accepting that she was clueless about their location anyway. She spared a sideways glance at the girl beside her, looking just as confused as she was.

Korra could practically hear Asami's mind ticking before recognition passed through her face. The Southern girl could feel the grip on her hand tighten before she was excitedly dragged towards the opposite end of the field. 

"I can't believe it's still here!" yelled Asami as she ran with Korra trailing behind her.

Over the horizon, Korra saw what appeared to be a wide, rundown barn with the words, " **FUTURE INDUSTRIES** " above the door in peeling paint.

Reaching halfway the field, which Korra has now figured to be the Future Industries Airfield, a loud descending whir caused the girls to both slow down and stare at the approaching aircraft, flying closer and closer towards the ground. 

"Run! That's a military scout plane!" Asami yelled over the loud aircraft that was directly declining us towards them. Korra was tugged in another direction, following Asami effortlessly, almost as if they were moving completely in tandem.

Military trucks drove over the hill, appearing in front of the girls. Both girls grunted in frustration, turning again to make a break for it with their feet pounding into the gravel.

They were surrounded, vehicles driving around to block off every possible exit. Soldiers piled out of all the trucks, circling and pointing their muskets at the bewildered girls. Without much thought, the girls stood back to back, watching the shrinking circle of men around them. The soldiers inched in gradually and broke the circle to grab both Korra and Asami. A cacophony of chaotic yells from the military men and screams from the girls disrupted the peace of the abandoned airfield.

A rage boiled over Korra as she watched the soldiers roughly handling Asami, some of them even leering at her. The Southern girl wrestled herself out of their grips and punched a soldier that was holding Asami. 

"Get off of her!" Korra roared, now wrestling with the grips of more angered soldiers. 

Suddenly, Korra yelped as she felt a sharp pain in her right shoulder. Looking down, she saw a short, emptied syringe sticking out of her arm. Confusion knitted her brows as a heavy weight overcame her body, collapsing to a knee on the ground. Even her thoughts felt heavier. Slower.

Korra blinked her eyes to find that the blurriness wasn't going away. She looked up to see concern etched deeply on Asami's tear stained face. She could faintly see Asami screaming for her but could barely hear it, everything felt washed out. The weight became too much. The Southern girl fell to her back, splayed out on the ground, watching figures surround her from above before the blurriness eventually faded into black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why hello there stranger...been a while...  
> Got a bit busy with the tail end of my degree and then starting a new job but things have finally settled and I'm writing again (thanks to long work commutes)  
> Special thanks, as always, to my favourite (and only) beta!  
> Wanna chit chat? I happen to have a tumblr (samwrotesomestuff), I mostly just reblog a myriad of things and clock out there but come say hi if you'd like.  
> Just a short chapter here but it's ok, big chapters are coming soon~


	9. Lake Lao Gai

Korra woke up with a start, shooting upright. She was in an unfamiliar place; she sat in a lush, frilly, pink chamber bed that was the most atrocious and luxurious thing she had ever seen. Looking at the room around her, the walls were made of large dark grey stones and a large window with a small bench nook illuminated the room with early morning light. Her eyes zeroed in on the large wooden door.

Swinging her legs off the bed's edge, the Southern girl realised that she was now dressed in a flowy blue nightgown.

Her knuckles tightened around the material that gathered on the lap. 

_Unalaq._

With a renewed fire, she marched to the door and twisted the doorknobs with very little success. She resorted to slamming her fist on the door and yelling at the top of her lungs, "Where is she?! Where's Asami?! You better not have touched her, you slimy lizard weasel of a coward! Do you hear me Unalaq?!"

"Fuck this," she breathed out, turning to grab the chair that sat by the writing desk. She gave a running start before swinging at the wooden door, breaking the chair into pieces. She looked down at the splintered chunks of chair legs left in her hands. There must be a way out.

A door lock clicked, swinging open to reveal Unalaq, looking amused in another fine, navy suit. 

Korra tensed at the sight of the man, brandishing her chair legs as improvised weapons. 

"Where is she?" she seethed.

Unalaq chuckled, "Brave of you to assume that you're in a place to make demands, or maybe you're just as stupid as your father." 

"What did you just say?" The fire in Korra quadrupled.

"She has not been harmed…yet. And her well-being all depends on you, I truly want this to be as peaceful as possible, Korra," he explained, hands clasped together.

"How can I trust your word? You lied and kidnapped me," she asked.

"My men can shoot her now the-"

"NO!" Korra screamed, "Please, just leave her out of this. You got what you wanted," she sagged, feeling defeated, dropping the chunks of wood. 

"That's more like it," he said, smugness evident in his voice.

Korra's eyes flicked up to Unalaq's face, he looked as smug as he sounded. Her fists clenched at her frustration at herself for endangering Asami. She felt him observing her under a magnifying glass.

"Don't think you'll get away with only listening just this once either," he pulled out a small notebook from his jacket's inner pocket and his wire-frame glasses before continuing, "Asami Sato. Aged 18. Daughter of the deceased Yasuko Sato and disgraced Hiroshi Sato. Born in Republic City but lived in Zaofu for the majority of her life. Known relations with Major Bumi of the United forces and his nomadic brother, Tenzin and his family. Four children and a wife. I truly hope nothing were to happen to them," he finished, matter of factly, snapping his notebook shut.

Her anger flared at the man in front of her momentarily, immediately being tampered by her uncle's words.

"What do I have to do?"

* * *

Asami groaned as she woke to a dark, cold stone room. She pushed herself up, wincing at the sharp pain radiating from the back of her head. She gently prodded at the source, hissing at the pain doubling. 

She was hysterical watching Korra collapse to the ground. With no responses coming from the Southern girl, she managed to break free from the soldiers and dropped to her knees, screaming her name and shaking the other girl's shoulders with urgency. She vaguely remembers a sharp pain from her head before falling unconscious. The soldiers must've knocked her out.

Getting up, she dusted off her pants and jacket and evaluated her surroundings. A wooden door to her left, a small and narrow window to her right, a rusty chamber pot in front of her and a thin, tattered mattress on the ground behind her. She walked over to the thin slit of a window for a peek. Tall shadows crossed the light that bleared through rhythmically. Confused, she turned her head and closed her eyes as she focused.

She could hear rhythmic marching of many boots and deep male voices yelling. She could smell freshly mown grass, the stale cold of her cell and the faint scent of the sea. 

Opening her eyes again, her mind ticked. A military base close to the coast? She couldn't remember if one existed off the top of her head. The uniforms of the soldiers earlier were distinctively Earth Kingdom with their earthy green and yellow tones. 

Walking over to the door, she gave the handle a hearty tug and push but it wouldn't budge. The metalwork on the door was suspiciously reinforced with a coated metal, something Asami knew was used by only those who could afford the best in coastal homes and warehouses.

She began pacing, a habit picked up from watching her father do the same whenever he faced a logical problem, she found the same productivity in doing it herself over the years. "Come on, Sato," she mumbled to herself, "You are your father and mother's daughter, you can think your way out of this."

She paced for what felt like hours in a repetitive circle around the room when a click of the door interrupted, two of the same morose figures that stopped Varrick's train stood in the door. Korra's cousins from what Asami remembered, Esna or Deska. With a closer look now, Asami understood what the Southern girl meant by creepy; the oddly androgynous features, matching clothing and strangely straight hair cuts with the deadpan expressions. They both stepped forward. The synchronized movement on top of all that made them even more off-putting.

"We're to escort you," they said, together in a monotone voice. Both stepped aside, allowing for Asami to walk into the dim hallway. Two guards stood waiting on either side of the doorway, both armed with muskets.

Silently, they lead her through countless stone hallways that got progressively more decorative and cleaner, slowly unveiling what Asami concluded as some sort of secret military stronghold.

They stopped in a large foyer, adorned with floor to ceiling banners displaying the Earth Kingdom's military prowess. All around her were lush carpets and several weapons, portraits and ancient sets of armour on display. How this place was somehow a secret military stronghold with this level of extravagance was beyond Asami.

The twins stood to the side, making intense eye contact with each other, seemingly communicating non verbally. Watching them irked the raven-haired girl more.

Footsteps echoed in the room, coming closer to where Asami stood with the guards and the twins. 

A tall, long-faced man dressed in a dark blue suit that teetered on purple appeared, walking down the set of stairs in an air of arrogance was closely followed by Korra, now dressed in a stiff light blue linen dress. The Southern girl didn't raise her head at all, staring down where she was stepping the whole time she was walking.

"Korra!" Asami called.

The Southern girl's head shot up, meeting her gaze, "Asami!"

Both girls broke into sprints, their bodies slamming into a hug. 

"You're okay!"

"Did they do anything to you?" 

"Are you alright?"

"What happened?"

The girls' questions and concerns layered over each other, not quite being answered but both girls were more occupied confirming their suspicions visually.

Asami gently cupped the other girl's jaw, staring into her eyes to see sadness and hurt reflected back. The Southern girl gently pulled Asami's hands down, holding them in a loose grip between them.

"You should go home 'Sami," Korra said with a forced smile.

"What?"

"Forget about Laputa."

Asami could feel that something was wrong.

"W- but Korra, you-"

The tall man stepped forward to stand behind Korra, placing a hand on her shoulder and making eye contact with Asami. The Southern girl immediately dropped her hands and the raven-haired girl couldn't help but feel a twinge in her chest. Someone that projects a demeanour this vile must be the uncle that Korra talked about.

"The investigations into Laputa are now a military matter. Your assistance to young Korra is very appreciated however and as a token of appreciation, the Earth Kingdom now reinstates the status of the late Hiroshi Sato and releases Future Industries of all investigations," he declared. Asami almost gasped but kept her expression neutral; everything she was chasing to restore her family's honour immediately halted and dissolved in a matter of seconds. It was too good to be true.

"I imagine you'll be too busy running your father's business to be chasing elusive things, Miss Sato or should I say, Madame President Sato," he finished with a smile.

Asami looked to Korra, who could barely maintain eye contact.

"Korra?"

The Southern girl looked up with a tight smile that didn't reach her eyes, "It's okay, go home Asami. I'll be fine."

The raven-haired girl was a cocktail of confusion, hurt, concern and joy all at once.

"These guards," Unalaq gestured with his free hand at the soldiers standing behind Asami, "-will be escorting you home." 

The armed men stepped to either side of her, it was more of a threat and warning than an act of service. She felt two hands grasp her arms loosely, gently tugging her away. She stood firm, staring at the other girl, memorising and deciphering all she could. She couldn't understand the complete revolution in Korra, there was something wrong but she couldn't figure it out for the life of her. Could she just abandon the one person she could consider a friend? 

The pull from the soldiers was a bit more forceful, causing her to stumble. She didn't have much of a choice, the Southern girl must be actively under threat, this was the safest choice.

"I'll be fine," Korra repeated with a more encouraging expression.

Asami gave a sharp nod, "Goodbye, Korra." Turning around, she walked through the grand doors, exiting the foyer with each soldier on either side of her and slid into the backseat of the waiting car. 

She stared a hole into the car floor between her boots and consciously ignored the stinging of the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She felt like emotional tumbleweed, bouncing around within the limits of her own head.

The two soldiers sat in the front seat and began driving out from the building. She turned to look back at the door she just came from, almost selfishly hoping that Korra would come running after her but there was no such thing.

She instead stared at the obnoxiously tall stone wall that now separated her from the military stronghold as it got smaller and smaller in the distance.

The car came to a rolling stop on the outskirts of Zaofu, the sky painted orange as the sun was setting over the village. One of the soldiers awkwardly cleared his throat, signalling Asami's dismissal from the vehicle. She slid out of the car and was left in a plume of dust kicked up by the automobile driving away.

Asami managed to stave away the tears during the journey, channelling the stoicism she saw in her father in his later years. She made her way through town on the way through to her own home.

 _'It was the safest thing to do,'_ the raven-haired girl repeated to herself in a mantra. She looked along the street to find remnants of the chaos that must've occurred when she was sneaking Korra through to Serpent's Pass. _Korra._

Asami felt anger in herself now. Angry at herself for having to leave her only friend, at Korra for encouraging her to leave, at Korra's shitty uncle for being a horrible person. At the situation for not letting anything be in her control. All the while, she kept wondering if she was selfish to be happy that her father's business and reputation finally free again.

She walked faster now, almost walking right into Pema who was sweeping the dust out of her home and onto the street. 

"Asami! You're back! Were you able to get that girl home?" The older woman asked, holding the broom to her side.

 _'No, I didn't because I failed her, I couldn't get her home,'_ The raven-haired girl felt a tear run down her face as the thought crashed through the walls she had built in her mind. She opened her mouth as she was about to answer but it quickly was caught in her throat.

Like opened floodgates, the tears streamed out, leaving hot trails. 

She ran, ignoring the concerned yells from Pema.

She came to a stop at the base of the hill of her home with her hands on her knees, hunched over as she tried to catch her breath with the burn in her lungs. Her body was shaking from the sobs that wracked through her and the gradual exhaustion that was settling in. 

' _You're nothing but a failure, Sato. A failure that couldn't take care of her mother. A failure that let down her father. A failure that couldn't help the only friend she's ever made,'_ the thoughts got louder, pounding away, making Asami shrink further into herself. This wasn't unfamiliar territory for her mentality to venture in but it hadn't felt this raw since her father's death and the imminent aftermath that followed.

She began to sober, rubbing away the drying tears and snot that was accumulating with the heel of her hand and sleeve. Her eyes felt puffy and stung; she was fatigued, physically and emotionally. 

Drained of all energy, she trudged her way to her front door, wanting nothing more than to collapse in her bed. The very bed that Korra was in a few nights ago when she fell from the sky. _'It was for the best,'_ she reminded herself.

Pushing her door open, she was immediately greeted by her kitchen, dimly lit with several figures hunched over her kitchen table.

"What-"

She was grabbed from behind, constrained with ropes and thrown to the ground of her childhood home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy, I'm a mean author (I know), recently got the tears of a reader in chapter 1 and oh boy, just you guys wait for what I have planned.  
> Special thanks to my beta who is no longer an egg.  
> Come yell at me on tumblr (samwrotesomestuff)


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